Red 5 Studios today announced that its free-to-play open world shooter, Firefall, will enter Open Beta on July 9, 2013, allowing millions of eager gamers to join the Chosen warfront and experience Firefall’s skill-based vertical combat. Red 5 also laid out Firefall’s final stage of Closed Beta testing and released an Open Beta FAQ to inform new players about its beta process.

Fitting Red 5’s iterative beta process, new updates will continue to roll out leading up to Open Beta with major milestones planned for May and July. Players can look forward to a final stage of Closed Beta testing which will flesh out Firefall’s dynamic open world and deepen existing systems. Upcoming content includes:

– City Power Levels: Players will receive new bonuses and rewards in the open world by increasing the power level of major cities through local missions and encounters.

– Melding Exploration: By raising city power levels and unlocking special dropships, players will finally be able to enter and explore pockets of the deadly Melding energy storm surrounding New Eden.

– Chosen Instances: Fortifying the open world allows players to take the fight to the Chosen, driving back the hostile alien race in epic new battle instances.

– Crafting and Progression: Players will continue to see major additions to crafting and Battleframe progression (including the new UI).